Time for your flu shot; clinics are opening soon

’Tis the season for coughing and sneezing, so it is also time for the flu shot clinics.

Health officials say the best way to protect against influenza is to get vaccinated each year. The flu is highly contagious and characterized with fever, body aches and a sore throat; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Upcoming free flu-shot clinics offered by Barnes-Jewish Hospital are available while supplies last for those six months and older, regardless of residency. They include:

▪ Barnes-Jewish Hospital, main campus, St. Louis. Vaccinations offered 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2 to Wednesday, Oct. 4. Parking is available in the south garage for $2 an hour. Adults only.

▪ Center for Advanced Medicine, third floor lobby, 4921 Parkview Place, St. Louis. Vaccinations offered 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2 to Wednesday, Oct. 4. Parking is available in the north garage and Forest Park/Laclede Garage for $2 an hour. Adults and children age 6 months and older.

▪ Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, Medical Office Building 2, 10 Barnes West Ave., Creve Coeur. Vaccinations offered 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Adults and children six months and older. Free parking on-site.

▪ Siteman Cancer Center – South County, 5225 Midamerica Plaza, St. Louis. Vaccinations offered 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. Adults and children six months and older. Free parking on-site.

▪ Siteman Cancer Center at Christian Hospital atrium, Detrick Building, 11133 Dunn Road, St. Louis. Vaccinations offered 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Adults and children six months and older. Free parking on-site.

For more information on the Barnes-Jewish flu clinics, visit the Barnes-Jewish Hospital website.

Elsewhere:

▪ The Madison County Health Department will offer flu shots in a walk-in clinic held 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Fridays. The clinics are closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Clinics are closed Thursdays.

▪ It was not immediately known when the St. Clair County Health Department would offer flu vaccines.

In addition, pharmacies and major retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, Shop ’n Save and others often hold public flu vaccine clinics. Walgreens has already announced its walk-in clinic is now offering the flu vaccine any time a healthcare provider is on duty. The pharmacy chain has also launched its “Get a shot, give a shot” campaign, in which a portion of the proceeds from its flu clinics will go to fund vaccinations via the United Nations Foundation.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Time for your flu shot; clinics are opening soon."